Matchmaker
by Clarinetgirl3929
Summary: Ikuto and Amu are happily married until a tragic car accident cuts Ikuto's life short. A year later their children, Yoru and Miki attempt to set up their lonely mother with Seiyo Academy's new principal, Tadase Hotori. TADAMU.
1. Prologue

**A/N: So, I'm starting a new story. (Don't worry this is sooo much better than the oneshot I wrote.) I don't own Shugo Chara or its characters, just my OCs. With all that aside, enjoy :) -Clarinetgirl2339**

Amu Tsukiyomi woke up on a peaceful night. She reached over and felt the bed beside her, noticing the absence of her husband Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

"He must not be home yet," she muttered to herself, "I'll go wait for him."

She silently closed the door to her bedroom, being careful not to wake her two peacefully sleeping children. She settled on the living room couch to wait for her husband's return.

"It's 10:00," she muttered, glancing at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall, "he should be home by now." She closed her eyes and began to doze off before she was rudely aroused by the phone.

"Is this Amu Tsukiyomi?" asked the voice on the other end.

"Speaking?" Amu replied.

" , It's very unfortunate that we must tell you this, but your husband Ikuto was in a car accident earlier tonight, and is currently in critical condition."

Amu slammed the receiver down. A feeling of pure panic erupted in her heart as she raced down the hallway to wake up Yoru and Miki. She flung open the door to her son's room and gently shook the sleeping boy awake.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Yoru asked, yawning.

Amu hesitated, before answering. "Y-Yoru..." Yoru glanced up, meeting his mother's gaze. Amu blinked back tears, but she could not resist the temptation. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Mom?" Yoru questioned, unsure of how to help.

"Ikuto... Y-Your father, he..." Amu explained rapidly, only re-confirming the harsh reality.

Suddenly filled with adrenaline, Yoru sprang from his bed, and threw a T-shirt and a pair of jeans on over his pajamas. In his rush to meet his mom at the door, Yoru ran right into his sister. The eight year-old's face was a mixture of shock, panic, and fear. Their mother stood by the front door, the same expressions etched on her normally cheerful and smiling face. She shepherded the children to the car and sped to the hospital.

The car ride was painfully silent. Amu remained focused on driving, however haunting thoughts raced through her mind. Was Ikuto going to recover, was he dying, or was he...already dead. Amu shivered at the horrifying thought of her husband's death. She glanced over her shoulder into the backseat at her two children. Yoru's honey colored eyes were clouded with worry, and he sat still, chewing his fingernails out of nervousness. Miki hugged her knees to her chest, and cried softly into them.

The lobby of the hospital appeared welcoming, until you realized it was just a cover up for the awful secrets about your loved ones, that would soon be unveiled. There was a large waiting area outside Ikuto's room. Yoru and Miki were asked to wait while their mother visited Ikuto.

Once Amu left, the children were alone in a huge empty room. Miki curled up into a tight ball on the couch and began to cry. Even though Yoru was just as worried as Miki, and he hadn't the slightest idea about how comfort someone, he walked over to Miki's side and put his arm around the sobbing girl.

"Yoru," she whispered, "is daddy going to be okay?"

"He'll be back to normal before you know it" Yoru said soothingly, trying his best to keep the sadness he felt from creeping into his words. The girl looked up at him, her midnight blue eyes full of hope. She gave him a warm smile and snuggled closer to her older brother. Within mere moments, she was sound asleep.

"Dad," Yoru whispered into the empty air, "please don't make me a liar."

Amu paused at the door to the room. Please be okay, she thought as she turned the door handle. Ikuto lay on the hospital bed, looking weaker than Amu had ever seen him. His eyes were closed, and his face was ghostly white.

"Amu," he rasped, opening his blue eyes, and turning his head slightly to look at her. "I've heard the doctors; I know I'm not going to make it."

There was a brief pause before Amu spoke. "Ikuto! Don't say that; you're going to be fine!" Amu yelled, tears welling up in her golden brown eyes.

"Amu, it's over for me, but no matter what I'll always love you, Miki, and Yoru more than anything else in the world." "Please see me off with a smile."

Amu leaned down and kissed Ikuto passionately, before standing up but remained holding his hand. With his other hand, Ikuto reached up to stroke Amu's cheek, and as he took his last breath, he looked up at Amu and whispered "I love you." Then he closed his eyes and did not move again. Amu fell over Ikuto's body and cried.

**A/N: Yes, I know I killed Ikuto *Jumps under desk, hiding from Amuto fans***

**Please do not get mad at me for that! Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm back! I realize it's been a while, and I'm sorry for that, but between writer's block and school I couldn't find time to write. Anyway, here's chapter 1. Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters.  
**

Yoru was rudely awakened by his alarm clock. "Come on," he groaned, "just five more minutes you stupid alarm clock." Upon realizing that the alarm wasn't going to shut up on its own, the 11-year old swung his pillow into the clock, knocking it to the floor where it lay silent.

"Finally," Yoru sighed, "peace and quiet." He closed his eyes and began to doze off.

"Yoru!," yelled a girl's voice, "get up!" The bedroom light turned on flooding the room suddenly with bright light. Yoru sat up, blinking, his eyes adjusting to the light. In the doorway stood his 9-year-old sister Miki. She had risen early as usual and was dressed in the standard Seyio Academy girls uniform: a white collared shirt, black jacket, red tie, and red checkered skirt.

"Yoru, we're going to be late on the first day of school."

_Right, first day of sixth grade, how could I have forgotten_, Yoru thought.

"Okay, okay I'm up," Yoru said, crawling out from under the covers. Satisfied, Miki turned to leave.

"Ten minutes big brother, or I bring the ice water," she called back over her shoulder, smirking.

Not wanting to get wet, Yoru wasted no time getting dressed in his uniform: a black blazer, bow tie, and blue checkered shorts.

In the kitchen, Miki sat at the table eating pancakes when Yoru entered. She glanced up at him and gestured to a plate at the opposite end of the table.

"Those are yours," she said with her mouth full.

Yoru took his seat at the table, and the two siblings sat in an awkward silence for a moment until their mother entered.

"Good morning mommy!" Miki chirped happily, her midnight blue eyes shimmering. Amu gave her children a half-hearted smile before disappearing into the bathroom.

"She hardly responded at all!" Miki pouted.

"I told you it was going to take a while for mom to fully get over dad's death," Yoru told his sister gently.

"It's been a full year; it shouldn't take this long," Miki retorted.

"You make it sound like you don't miss dad at all!" Yoru shot back.

"No! It's not that; I-I just..." Miki's voice trailed off. Although the children were no longer deeply depressed by their father's death, it was still a very sensitive conversation subject and was normally avoided at all costs. After another awkward pause, Miki abruptly excused herself from the table and went to finish getting ready. As Yoru sat at the table alone, finishing his breakfast in silence he began, to think about how his father's death had affected his whole family. Their mother, Amu had been in a state of depression ever since that fateful day, and she didn't seem to be coming out of that anytime soon. That worried Yoru and his sister. She never smiled, she hardly ate, and she spent hours in her room softly crying to herself. Nothing the children did could cheer her up.

"Are you ready to go?" Yoru jumped and spun around to see Miki. She'd obviously recovered from the table conversation and was back to her normal lighthearted personality. Her long blue hair was neatly brushed, and it was held back by two diamond-studded bobby pins, arranged in an X pattern.

"Yes," Yoru answered, "almost."

"Well hurry up; if we're late I'll kill you."

Miki stood by the door impatiently tapping her foot when Yoru emerged from his room swinging his schoolbag over his shoulder.

"It's about time," she said crossly, opening the front door. After she left, she slammed the door in her older brother's face.

"Little Demon," Yoru muttered. When the children were younger, everyone had endlessly gushed over Miki. They thought she was so sweet and adorable, and Yoru would just stand apart from everyone and roll his eyes, wishing that knew about the demon that lived inside the innocent-looking girl. He sighed and pushed open the door.

A warm spring breeze buffeted his face, and bright rays of sunlight illuminated the lawn. Miki chased a monarch butterfly through the the grass.

"_And she thinks I waste time_," Yoru thought aloud. He began the fifteen-minute hike to school. Miki saw him and fell into step next to him.

"Who do you think the new principal will be?" Miki asked. Yoru had completely forgotten about Seiyo's former principal Tsukasa's resignation.

"I don't know; I guess we'll find out when we get there."

When they arrived, a blond haired man in a suit stood at the door, greeting students as the entered the building.

"Who do you think he is?" Miki asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yoru answered, "He has to be the new principal." The new principal's name turned out to be Tadase Hotori. He had attended Seiyo Academy as a student about twenty years ago. _Twenty years,_ thought Yoru. _Wasn't that the same time mom was a student here? _Yoru pushed the thought aside. What was the likelihood that they knew each other anyway.

The rest of the day was a normal boring school day. Yoru was the first one out the door when the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. He met Miki outside her fourth grade classroom, and together the two siblings walked out to find their mom waiting in her car at the front of the school. They got in the car, however their mother's attention was not directed at them but at a blond man standing outside the building. Suddenly noticing that she was not alone in the car, Amu tore her eyes from the man, and looked at her kids.

"Who's that?" She asked.

"The new principal, Tadase Hotori," Yoru answered. His mother's face lit up and she looked out the window again.

"Mom, can we go home?" Miki asked, clearly tired of waiting around.

"Sorry," Amu replied driving away. Yoru glared at Miki for spoiling the moment. She ignored the glare, and mouthed, "I'll talk to you when we get home."

Yoru made a beeline for the kitchen when they got home. School always left him starved. He snatched an apple from the fruit basket on the counter, and bit into it. Miki came in behind him and took a seat at the table.

"I've thought up a foolproof plan to lift mom's spirits," she announced.

"Okay, so what is this genius plan?" Yoru asked skeptically.

"We set mom up with principal Hotori." A piece of apple caught in Yoru's throat, and he coughed violently in an attempt to dislodge the food from his windpipe. Miki raced over to her brother and slapped him on the back until he swallowed it.

"Run that by me again!" Yoru gasped, struggling to regain his composure.

"We set mom up with Principal Hotori."

"Okay, how do you propose we accomplish that?"

"Easy," Miki said, smiling devilishly, "we play Matchmaker."

**A/N: For once I'm actually proud of how this turned out. Thanks for taking the time to read it, and I hope you enjoyed it. I would like to thank everybody who reviewed the previous chapter. The next chapter might be delayed once again because of school, writer's block, and the fact that between the All-State band and the All-County band, January is going to be a busy month for me.**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know I said that I had writer's block after the last chapter, but right after I posted it, I got the inspiration for this chapter. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara**

Yoru stared at Miki in disbelief. Set mom up with someone else, and make her forget all about dad? It just seemed wrong!

"Isn't that.. betraying dad?" Yoru asked, finally finding his voice. Miki rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Look Big Brother," she said, looking Yoru directly in the eyes, "dad would want mom to be happy and not spend the rest of her life grieving." Yoru considered this for a moment before responding.

"Okay, I see where you're coming from, but butting into our mother's personal life just seems wrong."

"Never mind," Miki grumbled, standing up from her chair, "I'll do it myself." She stormed out of the kitchen and went to her room to think. She flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling fan. _"Why does Yoru have to be so stubborn and cautious?"_ Miki asked herself. Yoru was quiet and serious, unlike Miki's crafty and carefree personality. He never took risks or went along with her plans.

What surprised Miki the most was that Yoru had turned this plan down and refused to help. For the past year, all they had wanted was to cheer their mom up. "Who needs brothers, I'll show him!" Miki said aloud, "My plan will succeed!"

Later that night Miki sat at her desk writing in her notebook.

_Miki's Matchmaker Plan:_

_Find mutual interests_

"That's where I'll start," she announced to the quiet room. "Tomorrow," she finished, yawning. She crawled into bed and fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

Bright sunlight streamed into the dark bedroom. Miki opened her eyes and groggily sat up. Her eyes fell on the red numbers of the digital clock that sat on her bedside table. Though her vision was blurred, it was easy to make out the time on the clock's face, 7:10.

"I overslept!" Miki cried, springing out of bed. "School starts at 7:30!" The front door slammed shut. Yoru had just left, obviously believing that Miki had left way ahead of him. Panicking, Miki dug through her mess of a closet, trying to find her uniform. Finally, she found it in the very back of the closet. She threw it on and yanked a brush through her tangled blue hair. On the way out the door, she stopped in the kitchen and snatched a banana from the fruit bowl to eat on the way and checked the time. 7:23. "If I run I can make it," she muttered. Unfortunately, running was not Miki's cup of tea. She ran out of breath before she even reached the end of the street. However, not wanting to be late for the first time in her life she kept going, while doing her best to ignore the stabbing pain in her side. Although it was still early, the streets were far busier than Miki would have liked. After nearly plowing into three old ladies walking their dogs and tripping over two fire hydrants trying to avoid more people, she reached the front steps of Seiyo Academy just as the bell rang. She was late, and her classroom was still on the other side of the school. She dashed down the hallway, keeping her eyes peeled for the teachers who prowled the hallways, looking for kids who were out of class.

"Sorry I'm late!" Miki apologized when she flung open the door to her classroom. She looked up at the teacher expecting to see her usual teacher, but in his place stood Principal Hotori.

_Smooth Miki_, she scolded herself,_ get the principal mad at you_ _by showing up late_.

"That's quite alright," he said, "you haven't missed anything important." He smiled. "Just take your seat."

"Um.. okay," Miki answered, shocked that he didn't assign her any sort of punishment. Any other teacher would have exploded at any late student. She glanced at his face, searching for any sign of anger. His crimson eyes twinkled with amusement, but that was it. "Okay," he began, "First of all, my name is Tadase Hotori for those of you who don't know me, and I will be filling in for your teacher for the day," he began. "I attended Seiyo as a student twenty years ago, and I held the position of King's Chair of the guardians."

Miki took her notebook out of her pocket and wrote: both were members of the Seiyo Guardians twenty years ago under mutual interests. It wasn't really an interest, but it did prove that they had once known each other, which might make Miki's job easier. He finished his introduction speech, and took a seat at the teacher's desk to take roll.

"Miki Tsuki..." he paused at her last name, "Tsukiyomi."

"Here!" He didn't call the next name, he just stared at her as though he recognized her. About thirty seconds passed before Principal Hotori tore his eyes from Miki and continued calling roll.

* * *

By recess, Miki had completely forgotten about the awkward moment between her and Principal Hotori that morning. He was such a great teacher! He made school, (the one thing Miki always hated) fun! However, things went back to being uncomfortable after he let the kids outside. Miki purposely hung back and saw him take a photograph of five children, two boys and three girls out of his pocket. On the far right stood a blond boy that without a doubt had to be Principal Hotori. The three to his left looked familiar to Miki, as though she had seen them before, but the one that caught Miki's eye was the girl on the right with pink hair and golden-brown eyes. It was her mother! Suddenly, she remembered seeing the exact same picture at home on the mantle. He raised his head, and before he could catch her spying, she raced out the door.

* * *

Miki couldn't wait to tell Yoru what she found out. When the bell rang, she ran to Yoru's class to wait for him. Yoru walked out with several boys from his class, but joined Miki when he saw her.

"What's up?" Yoru asked, "You seem excited." All the information poured out of Miki before she remembered Yoru's refusal from the previous night. Yoru smiled.

"Okay, I'll help."

"Yay!" Miki cheered, hugging Yoru "What changed your mind?"

"I've been thinking about what you said... Maybe it's for the best," he paused. "However," Yoru continued, "if something goes wrong, I'm holding you accountable." Miki considered this for a moment.

"Deal."

* * *

Amu stood next to her car, searching for her children.

"Normally they're among the first ones out," Amu muttered. Even after all the other students had left, Miki and Yoru still hadn't come. She stood outside the building alone.

"Looking for someone?" Said a vaguely familiar voice. Amu turned around, searching for the source of the voice, and found herself staring into the crimson eyes of an former flame.

"Long time no see, Amu." He said with a smile.

"Tadase," Amu breathed, her cheeks taking on a slight tint of pink. Unlike the rest of her school friends, Tadase hadn't changed at all. Everything, his silky blond hair, his red-violet eyes, and his charming personality were the same as they had been the night he left Tokyo, and the night they broke up.

"Where have you been all this time? Amu asked.

"I've been traveling around Japan, teaching in different places, but when I heard that Tsukasa resigned, I came back to fill the post," he answered, "Anyway, enough about me, how have you been?" He asked. "I trust Ikuto's been treating you well." A hint of resentment was present in his voice, as though he regretted passing up his chance to be with Amu.

"I-Ikuto..." Amu's voice cracked, and her eyes filled with tears, "Ikuto passed a year ago."

"I-I'm so sorry, I-I didn't know," Tadase apologized quickly, stumbling over his words. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. For as long as Tadase could remember, Ikuto had been an older brother figure to him. It pained him to know that Ikuto was gone. He put his arm around the sobbing woman. Surprisingly, she hugged him back, and buried her face in his jacket. Memories of Ikuto filled Tadase's mind, causing him to tear up too.

"Mom!" Miki called, interrupting his thoughts, "Sorry we took so long." Amu let go of Tadase, and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"It was great seeing you again Tadase!" Amu called back over her shoulder as she ran toward the car.

"Bye.. Amu," Tadase said, feeling a little disappointed about Amu leaving so suddenly.

* * *

Miki pullled Yoru aside when they got home.

"Did you see that!" She cried. "they are totally into each other." She paused briefly to catch her breath before continuing, "it's time to put step two of Miki's Matchmaker Plan into action."

"What might that be?" Yoru asked

"Set them up on a date," Miki said, "and I have just the plan."

**A/N: Yay! Cliffhanger! (sort of :P) I kind of know the basic plot of the next chapter, but unfortunately school for me starts back tomorrow, so I'll have less time to write. I'll try to update ASAP. -Clarinetgirl3929 **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am so sorry about the late update! I've been so busy lately with school and I had major writer's block on this chapter. Anyway, Enjoy chapter 3 :D.**

**-Clarinetgirl3929 **

A loud crash awoke Yoru from his dreams. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was three in the morning, way too early for anyone else in his family to be awake.

"_Burglars!" _He thought. He quickly climbed out of bed and walked to his closet. He picked up the wooden baseball bat from the floor and cautiously crept out into the dark hallway. He silently entered the kitchen and immediately the light turned on. Yoru jumped in surprise and spun around to see Miki standing beside the light switch.

"Shhh..." Miki said, her finger on her lips. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't wake Mom; you'll ruin everything.

"Okay, I'll be quiet," Yoru whispered. "Now tell me, what the heck are you doing up at three in the morning and what was that crash?" Miki smiled and gestured toward the table where it was evident that she had been working.

"I've been doing some research." As usual she continued without allowing Yoru any input. "I saw Mom looking through these last night, so I decided to look at them too," Miki said placing her hand on a large cardboard box full of letters. Although Yoru had a feeling he knew the answer, he couldn't keep himself from asking.

"Who are they from?"

"Principal Hotori. Not only did they attend the same school, they also dated!" Miki was jumping up and down with excitement. "All we have to do is get them back together, and everyone will be happy again." Yoru sighed at his sister's ignorance.

"You do realize love isn't that simple, right?"

"How would you know," Miki retorted, "I've never seen you bring a girl home." Yoru considered this for a moment. Although girls seemed to like him, he never paid them any heed. He just let them stare when he entered classrooms and frantically whisper amongst themselves whenever a pack of them passed him in the halls.

"Are you just going to stand there daydreaming, or are you going to come help me?" Miki was sitting down now, carefully writing on a sheet of her favorite stationary. Yoru walked over and examined the items on the table: A letter written by his mother and a letter written by principal Hotori. Miki pushed Principal Hotori's letter and a sheet of paper covered with her messy scrawl toward him.

"Write this note in Principal Hotori's handwriting; I'll do Mom's." Yoru gave his sister a puzzled glance before sitting down at the opposite end of the table and carefully studying the handwriting. The letters were straight and neat, and they looked very simple to Yoru. He picked up a pen and began working.

* * *

When he finished, Yoru held up the paper and admired his handiwork. He glanced over at Miki's work, and he couldn't prevent himself from laughing. Miki's penmanship was bad enough as is without trying to copy their mother's fancy style. What made it look the worst though, had to be the black marks of ink smeared across the paper from Miki's left hand. Miki looked up at her brother and glared.

"If it's not how you think it should be, you fix it yourself." Yoru sighed.

"Fine, I'll do it for you." Yoru sighed. He reached over and pulled the paper closer before he got to work copying the intricate writing. Miki watched over his shoulder.

"Wow, Yoru, your girl handwriting is better than your guy handwriting," she giggled. Yoru pretended he hadn't heard her.

* * *

"So, what's your genius plan that involves these notes? Yoru asked once he finished.

"God Yoru," Miki sighed. "Did you even bother reading the note before you wrote it?"

"No."

"Then read it!" Yoru glanced down at the letter in his hand.

_Dear Amu,_

_I'm glad we got to talk after school yesterday. I've missed you. The two of us have a ton of catching up to do. I was wondering if you would accompany me on a stroll in the park on Friday night. If you're interested, meet me at the oak tree in front of the school at 7:00. _

_ -Tadase_

"So, this is your plan to set them up?"

"Yep," Miki said with a smile. Do you think it'll work?"

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't take anything I've said into account; it's way too early for me to think straight." Yoru answered.

"Hmm.." Miki said thoughtfully, "Perhaps that explains why you've asked so many dumb questions." She raced over to the other side of the kitchen, feeling sure that Yoru would retaliate in some way. "You aren't going to get me back for that comment?" she asked, sounding disappointed as though she hoped he would chase her.

"It's four in the morning; I don't have the energy to fight you right now." Yoru answered, beginning to walk toward his bedroom.

"I trust you'll take full responsibility for cleaning up," He called over his shoulder, gesturing at the messy pile of loose papers. Miki said nothing, but scowled at her brother and began trying (and failing) to pack the papers back into the box neatly.

* * *

Yoru crawled back into bed and curled up under the blankets, eager to enjoy his last two precious hours of sleep, however he began to wonder if Miki's plan would succeed. Although she seemed so sure of herself, Yoru knew she was too young to understand love. If his mom and Principal Hotori had dated, that meant they had broken up. Yoru just desperately hoped that whatever had caused the split in the first place hadn't been drastic enough to turn them against each other forever.

**A/N: Yeah, this was kind of a filler chapter, but the action picks up in the next chapter which should be up in a couple weeks (I hope :P). -Clarinetgirl3929 **


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! (Finally :P) I won't delay this any longer. Without further ado, enjoy chapter 4! :D**

After she finished folding and packing the letters back into the box, Miki tiptoed to the front door and silently opened it. She slipped her feet into a pair of shoes and stepped outside into the misty morning air.

The sun was beginning to rise over the treetops, casting a warm glow across the dew covered grass. Miki walked over to the mailbox and took an envelope out of her bathrobe pocket.

"I hope this works," she whispered, before sliding it into the mail slot.

* * *

On her way back to her bedroom, Miki glanced at the clock and sighed.

"6:00," she muttered, "there's no point of going back to bed now." In the kitchen, Miki prepared herself a cup of coffee and collapsed in a kitchen chair. She realized that between fishing through the letters, writing the notes, and cleaning up the mess she'd been up all night, and the exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her. She reached for the sugar bowl at the table's center and dumped a half cup of sugar into the mug to wake herself up.

As she savored the hot coffee, Miki was reminded of how she and her dad used to watch the sunrise each morning on the back porch while drinking coffee. They talked, told stories, played games, and... Miki blinked back tears, for even the mere memory of her father was painful to think about. She pushed the memory to the back of her mind as a wave of exhaustion washed over her, dragging her into a deep sleep.

* * *

Amu was greeted by an unusual sight when she woke up the next morning. Her early-rising daughter lay sprawled on the kitchen table, fast asleep. Amu gently took Miki by the shoulders and shook her awake.

"Five more minutes," she groaned. Amu chuckled softly.

"Did somebody stay up to late last night?" Miki picked her head up from the table.

"I went to bed, I just couldn't sleep." Her mother smiled.

"I guess we all have our rough nights," Amu said turning toward the kitchen. "I'll start on breakfast while you get dressed." Miki nodded and went to go change.

* * *

When Miki returned, two plates of buttered toast were set on the table, waiting to be eaten. She sat down and began nibbling on the top piece. Her mother joined her and began asking her about school. Miki was a bit confused; her mother hadn't been this chatty in the longest time. Suddenly, realization hit her; perhaps just seeing and talking to an old friend had restored some of her bright personality. Miki smiled; this had to be a good sign. However, the friendly conversation was quickly interrupted by Yoru's entrance.

"Good Morning," he mumbled. Miki stifled a giggle; it was evident that Yoru had not recovered from their adventure last night. In fact, Yoru reminded Miki of a hibernating bear in the mornings. If he didn't catch enough sleep every night, he acted grumpy and disoriented all day long. Miki stood up and let Yoru sit down, before heading back to her room to finish getting ready.

In her room, Miki hurriedly tossed heavy textbooks and unkept folders with papers sticking out in all directions into her schoolbag. She slung it over her shoulder, and she picked up a plain white envelope from her desk. She glanced a for a brief moment before stuffing it into her jacket pocket and making a beeline for the front door.

"Isn't it a bit too early to be leaving for school?" Her mother asked. Miki froze, her hand grasping the doorknob, for she hadn't anticipated a response, and therefore, she hadn't prepared a reasonable excuse.

"I-I...promised a few of my friends that I'd walk with them," She answered, as casually as she could. Amu cast her daughter a puzzled glance before letting her go.

"Okay, just stay out of trouble."

"Thanks," Miki called, "bye!" Once outside, Miki grinned to herself. Unlike Yoru, she'd always been a fantastic, convincing liar. She wasn't entirely sure if that was an admirable attribute for the future, but at her age, it was a pretty useful ability. Truthfully, Miki didn't want anyone to see her enter the school.

Miki stopped to catch her breath at the steps of the school building. A steady flow of students were entering the school. "Perfect," Miki muttered, grinning slightly "just enough people to cover me." She fell into step with the current of kids, however instead following them to the classrooms, Miki slipped out of the crowd and snuck down the hallway where the administration offices were located. Most of the office lights were off, meaning they were vacant. The principal's office was the last office at the end of the hall, and it was the only one allowing a glow from a light to escape from the window. Miki's heart sank. All the hope of putting her plan into action immediately dissolved like a spoonful of sugar in a glass of water. Until one last flicker of hope ignited within her. _It's possible he may not even be in there_, she thought. She smiled; it wasn't over yet. Miki dropped down on her hands and knees and crawled toward the open window. With her fingers crossed, Miki peered through the glass. A bag placed on the desk chair was the only indication that someone had been in the office that day. Miki stood up and raced to the door, flinging it open. Principal Hotori's desk was neat and organized, unlike many of Miki's teachers and Miki herself, for that matter. She pulled the envelope from her pocket and placed it on the desk before turning to leave. Suddenly, voices echoed down the hallway, getting closer and closer to the small office. Miki panicked and instinctively dove under the desk, before realizing flaw in the plan.

"I could've sworn I closed this door," Principal Hotori murmured, entering the office. His footsteps grew closer the the desk. _Don't sit down. Please, whatever you do, don't sit down_, Miki repeated over and over in her mind. The footsteps came to a halt in front of the desk. Principal Hotori picked up the letter, looked at it for a moment, and placed it in his bag. He took a stack of papers from the desktop and left the office. Once she was absolutely sure he was gone, Miki let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She stood up and crawled out from under the desk, smacking her head on the bottom of the desk. While rubbing her sore head, Miki ran back to the main hallway, praying that nobody saw her. A hand grabbed her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Whoa Miki!" Yoru exclaimed, "It's just me." Miki let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't do that!"

"Sorry," Yoru shrugged, not sounding sincere at all. "Anyway, did you do it? Yoru asked,

"Yeah, but I came very close to getting caught." There was an awkward silence between the two siblings before Yoru spoke again.

"So, now what?"

"I guess we wait until tomorrow night," Miki paused, "and pray it works."

**A/N: Yay! Cliffhanger! Well kinda... Anyway, I apologize once again for the late update. Between school and my laziness/being unmotivated I haven't had much time to write. I'm glad I was able to update today because today also happens to be my birthday! :D All that aside, I hope to have the next chapter up in a couple weeks, and I will try not procrastinate. - Clarinetgirl3929**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back after two months. Without any further delay, here's chapter 5. Enjoy!**

Friday morning dawned brightly, spilling rays of sunlight into Yoru's bedroom window. However, the room's occupant was already awake and dressing for school.

"Today is the day," Yoru muttered, standing in front of the mirror, observing his reflection, "The day we find out if my sister is capable of playing the game of Matchmaker and winning." Yoru knew his mother had received the invitation due to her strange behavior the previous night. After a homemade dinner, which was already an unusual event in their home because Amu was usually busy with work, leaving Yoru and Miki to obtain food by the means of the microwave, Amu had initiated a game of cards with her children. However, between her turns, she seemed slightly lost in her own thoughts. It was almost as if the game was just an attempt to take her mind off something, and not for the quality time with her children.

Yoru tried hard to forget the plan, "Operation Love" as Miki called it, and succeeded until he arrived at school, where his anxiety returned from just a simple greeting.

"Good morning Yoru," Principal Hotori said, as Yoru walked up the steps. All Yoru could manage was a feeble wave, for his mind was to busy running through a list of questions. _He's never called me by name before, why now? Does he suspect something? Is he mad at me? _The questions became more and more ridiculous and didn't stop until he reached his classroom.

Although her brother was a nervous wreak, the suspense hadn't fazed Miki at all. She sat proudly and confidently in her seat, imagining all the "happily ever after" scenarios she thought might result from the night's date. Miki couldn't wait for school to end.

Yoru, on the other hand, wanted the day to pass slower than it actually did. Instead, the school day flew by in a blur of subjects he failed to focus on. At the end of the day, Miki met Yoru outside his classroom, bouncing up and down like an excited puppy before a walk.

"Let's go Yoru!" She yelled, grabbing his wrist and dragging him down the hallway.

Back home, Amu franticly dug through her closet, attempting to find something suitable to wear. Her eyes fell on a red and pink dress. It was modeled after the dress she wore during her Amulet Heart transformation with Ran. Memories of her childhood filled her mind. Easter, the Guardians, her charas: Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia, and…Ikuto. Without warning, the tears began to flow.

"I-I can't do this!" She sobbed. "I can't go out with Tadase tonight; I can't betray Ikuto like that!" He late husband's words played back in her mind.

"Amu, see me off with a smile, and enjoy life even after I'm gone." Amu glanced at the letter in her hand and wiped her eyes with a tissue from the box on her bedside table.

"Ikuto, I hope you're okay with this." The sound of a key in the door jerked Amu back to the real world. She hung the dress on the doorknob and went to greet her children before starting on dinner.

After a silent and slightly awkward meal, Yoru watched his mother excuse herself from the table and run to her bedroom. Miki grinned at him from across the table, and both children eagerly awaited their mother's return, while using a card game as a cover-up.

The door opened about forty-five minutes later. Amu walked out, wearing a red and pink knee length dress and her pink hair was held back with two heart-shaped clips.

"Wow Mom," Yoru said. " You look beautiful." Amu smiled and thanked her son.

"So," Miki asked, "hot date tonight, Mom?" Amu laughed nervously.

"No, I-I just have to go… out for a while." She paused and the nervous tone left her voice before she returned to addressing her children. "I won't be back until much later tonight, and I expect both of you to be in bed asleep before I come home." She turned toward the door. "If either of you are still awake when I get home, there will be trouble." She opened the door and stepped outside. "Behave," she called as she closed the door.

"We will!" Miki called back. Both Yoru and Miki stood completely still until the door clicked shut. Miki leaped out of her chair, scattering the playing cards she had been holding all over the kitchen floor. "Okay Yoru, you are going to follow mom to the school and I'll wait for all of you at the park."

"Hold on for a moment, who made you queen of this operation?" Miki rolled her eyes.

"Well it was MY idea." She paused. "Now go change and meet me in the big oak tree in the center of the park; you'll have to climb it."

"Why do I have to be the one to follow Mom?"

"Because Big Brother, you said it yourself, I don't have enough "Stealth" for it; I would just get us caught." Yoru sighed, there didn't seem to be any point in arguing, it would be far easier to just comply with Miki's wishes.

"Fine."

Five minutes later, Yoru, dressed from head to toe in black, was running down the sidewalk, toward the school. His mother was already there. He dove behind a large bush, just a Principal Hotori walked up.

"Good evening Amu," he said, extending a hand for he to shake.

"Same to you," Amu replied, taking his outstretched hand, "It was nice of you to invite me out."

"We have a lot to catch up on; it has been nearly twenty years since we last saw each other." He glanced at his watch, "7:00, shall we go then?" Amu blushed as he took her hand and led her in the direction of the park.

Once they we out of earshot, Yoru crawled out from behind the bush, feeling extremely puzzled. Why hadn't Principal Hotori asked about the invitation when Amu brought it up? After all, they were both supposed to believe that the other had invited them. Yoru shrugged the question off, It didn't seem like it would jeopardize the mission, it was just strange.

At the park, Miki sat on one of the branches of the tree, concealed by a thick layer of leaves. Yoru carefully maneuvered his way through the tree until finding a branch to the left of hers, which he sat down on.

"Good, you didn't get caught," Miki let out a sigh of relief, "I was certain you'd blow the whole plan."

"Thanks for the confidence, sis," Yoru said sarcastically. Miki giggled, "I do my best; now be quiet."

Principal Hotori and Amu strolled toward the bench at the foot of the tree engaged in a conversation.

"It's been nice to get to talk to you after all these years, Tadase; we haven't been together in so long." Tadase nodded.

"It seems like everyone went their separate ways after finishing school. Have you had any contact with the others lately?" Amu shook her head.

"Not recently, but I do know where everyone went though." Tadase gestured for her to continue. "Nagihiko and Rima moved to Europe, so Nagi could improve his dancing. Kairi and Yaya moved to America, where Kairi teaches at a university. Utau and Kukai live on the other side of town with their son, Daichi. They came to visit for Christmas about two years ago, but unfortunately, I've lost touch with the others."

Tadase nodded sadly, "I suppose we all grew up and went on to pursue our dreams, but perhaps someday the bonds of friendship will be restored." He looked up at Amu, "Anyway, enough about myself and the others, what have you been up to all this time?"

"After I finished school Ikuto…" Her voice cracked. " Ikuto came back from his search for his father and we settled down soon after that. He became a professional violinist and I opened a flower shop downtown. Yoru was born about three years after our marriage, and Miki followed him two years later. Then the accident…" Her voice broke off and her composure crumpled. Nothing could stop the tears from escaping. Tadase leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, looking close to tears himself, for Ikuto had been like an older brother to him.

'I'm sorry," Amu sniffed, "I need to forget him and stop obsessing over him."

"You don't have to forget him, Amu," Tadase whispered. "You have to remember how much he loved you." He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her, "Ikuto would want you to be happy." Amu looked up at him and realized that he was the same Tadase she'd been in love with all those years ago. His charming personality and his ability to comfort her were still there. She felt like they were starting over. Perhaps they would have a happier ending this time.

Yoru and Miki stared at the romantic scene unfolding in front of them. Principal Hotori and their mother gazed into each other's eyes. Miki leaned forward as Amu leaned in closer, but just before their lips touched, the silence was interrupted by a sickening crack as the branch Miki was perched on snapped, sending the girl plummeting to the ground below. The couple seated on the bench jumped up and ran to the girl lying on the ground holding her arm. The shock, concern, and anger were evident on Amu's face when she realized the girl was her daughter. Her golden eyes scanned the tree until they made contact with Yoru's.

Only one word ran through Yoru's mind: _Busted._

**A/N: Yay cliffhanger! I promise it won't take months for me to post the next chapter because I only have four and a half days of school left! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you soon with chapter 6. –Clarinetgirl3929**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm really bad at keeping my word, aren't I? Anyway, I'm back, and it's only been one month this time. Enjoy! :)**

The night was definitely not going the way Miki had originally planed. She had expected a successful, romantic night, which would lead to a happy relationship, and perhaps more. Instead, she and her brother were in the back of their mother's car on the way to the hospital. Miki glanced at her right arm, sprawled uselessly across her lap. Even the slightest twitch of a finger sent wave of pain radiating up her whole arm. She knew without a doubt that it was broken. However, it wasn't the thought of her potentially broken arm that made her wish the night hadn't unfolded in this way. It was the lecture and punishment that made it a million times worse. Her mother hadn't said anything yet, but Miki knew her first priority had been getting her daughter to a hospital. Miki looked at her brother, sitting on the opposite side of the car and felt a twinge of remorse. She wished that Yoru had never gotten involved. His reputation as the "perfect responsible son" would be ruined. If Yoru hadn't been involved, he would be fast asleep at home at this moment, instead of awaiting his punishment. Unlike him, Miki was used to being punished. She cared more about having fun, than deciding if what she was doing was right or wrong. As a result, Miki had been deemed the reckless, irresponsible one of the family, unlike perfect Yoru. Truthfully though, Miki really didn't mind consequences; she knew better than to do anything that would earn her serious repercussions. She could handle being grounded by her mother or receiving detention for her antics at school. She wondered what would result for this adventure. Miki made a list of all the lines they had crossed in her mind. Really, there weren't many, although sneaking out in the middle of the night was probably what her mom was the most upset about. Miki stopped thinking about punishments; it wouldn't help anything. She tried to relax, but her eyes fell once again on Yoru, and the regret resurfaced. He looked miserable. His head leaned against the window and his eyes were closed like he was feigning sleep, but it was easy to see that he was awake, watching the buildings fly by while dreading what was about to come. Miki sighed, and turned her head to look out the window. Perhaps clearing her mind and just relaxing would make the car ride pass faster.

* * *

Upon their arrival at the emergency room, Amu opened Miki's door and helped her out of the car, however, while Miki expected to see concern on her mother's face, Miki could see sympathy in her mother's eyes. She didn't understand why her mother felt sympathetic . She deserved what she had received. They never should have interfered.

Inside, Amu filled out the forms given to her by the receptionist at the front desk while Miki waited. Glancing around the large waiting area, Miki recalled the last time she'd been in a hospital; the night of her father's death… The mere memory of that fateful night brought tears to Miki's eyes. She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, not wanting anybody to see her cry. Miki never cried in public. She always retreated to a place where she could be alone before she would cry. Fortunately her mourning was interrupted before the tears could escape again by the doctor calling her name.

"Miki Tsukiyomi?" Miki and her mother stood up. Yoru began to get up, but Amu told him to wait. He nodded and sat back down without saying a word.

Miki and her mother followed the doctor down a long hallway to a room with two chairs and a desk in it. He gestured toward the chairs indicating for them to sit. Once they were seated, the doctor took a seat behind the desk, and began looking Miki over. He glanced down at the clipboard in his hands.

"So, how did this happen?" He asked, looking Miki directly in the eyes, his dark brown eyes boring into her.

"I-I fell," Miki mumbled, averting her gaze

"Off of what," the doctor persisted, determined to get an answer for the embarrassed girl.

"Out of a tree," Miki whispered to the floor. Her answer awarded her an extremely perplexed look from the doctor.

"What exactly were you doing in a tree in the middle of the night?" He sounded gentle, but it was easy to see her simple answers were irritating him. Miki sighed; she knew the only way to get this over with was to answer his questions. She opened her mouth to speak, but her mother interrupted her.

"Can we please get on with the diagnosis, doctor?" She asked, impatiently, obviously growing tired of being at the hospital as well.

"Oh…right," he cleared his throat, "I'll just need to take a quick X-ray." He turned to Miki. "Come with me," he said. "Let's go X-ray that arm of yours." Although she didn't exactly like the doctor, Miki followed him out of the room. They would get home faster if she obeyed.

* * *

As Amu watched her daughter leave the room, her mind unwillingly flipped back to the topic she'd been trying desperately to avoid. Punishment. She didn't want to punish Miki and Yoru, after all, they had been trying to help her and Miki had injured her arm. However, sneaking out in the middle of the night had been a violation of her rules. She had to give them some kind of consequence. She wished that Ikuto were still here. He'd always been the one to handle the discipline. He had always known the right punishment for each offense, and here she was, not having any clue about what to say or how to deal with it. She wished she could let them off the hook, but it just wouldn't be right. She decided to sleep on it. By the time they got home, it would be too late to do anything anyway. She checked her watch. _9:38_. It would be nearing eleven by the time they got home. Amu pushed the thought of punishment away, and replaced it with the pleasant part of the night: her date with Tadase. To her, it felt like it had years ago when they were just kids. He was still the same, even after leaving the country for school. Perhaps they could make things work this time. She smiled; perhaps they could have a happier ending this time around.

"All done." The doctor and Miki returning interrupted Amu's thoughts. "A clean break," he said pulling an X-ray out of a large envelope and showing it to her. "I've put it in a cast and it should heal just fine over time."

"So can we go?" Amu asked.

"Yes, but I'd like to see Miki back in a couple weeks to make sure everything's healing properly."

"Thank you doctor."

* * *

In the waiting room, someone gently shaking his shoulder woke Yoru, who had begun to doze off. He blinked sleepily, and the image of his sister became clear. She was shaking him with her left arm; the other set in a pale blue cast. She looked exhausted, but then again, it was extremely late. They were all tired.

"Yoru, get up," she whispered. "We're ready to go home." He yawned and stood up, looking around for his mother.

"Where's Mom?" He asked. Miki turned toward the reception desk behind her.

"She's making me another appointment," she answered. As she turned back to face her brother, she noticed he was staring at her cast.

"Does it hurt?" Yoru asked, concerned. Miki shrugged.

"It did, but the painkillers helped a lot; the cast is just really uncomfortable."

"Miki! Yoru!" Their mother called, "let's go home." They followed her out into the parking lot. The night, which had been cloudy earlier, had cleared, allowing the stars to twinkle above them. It was beautiful. The sight made Yoru realize that even though the beginning of the night had been rough, things were beginning to look up. His mother didn't even seem as angry as she had before. He climbed into the car and leaned his head against the window. His mother started the car and began the hour-long drive back home. He glanced over at Miki. The girl had fallen asleep already, gently cradling her injured arm in her lap. Watching his younger sister sleep caused the wave of exhaustion to crash over him once again. Feeling more relaxed than he had before, Yoru closed his eyes and within moments, he was fast asleep.

**A/N: This chapter was really hard to write. I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm so happy that it's done. Moving on, this story is going to come a close soon, I think it has 2-3 more chapters before it ends. I've enjoyed writing it, and I'm kind of sad to see it end. However, I have other stories that I want to work on; I even started a new one a couple of weeks ago. I will try to update ASAP, but don't expect one until after August 3****rd****. I start marching band camp on Monday, and I don't see myself writing much during those two weeks. Anyway, I guess I'll see you next time. –Clarinetgirl3929**


End file.
